The problem with critiquing “Machete” is that it’s intentionally trying to be a bad film.

It’s easy to point out failures in a film when the assumption is a film is trying to be good. “Machete” is made to be bad, built from the spoof trailer of the same name featured in 2007’s “Grindhouse.” Therefore, bad acting, horrible camera angles, cheap effects and jumps in narrative logic are all part of the charm of the film. In that regard, “Machete” succeeds in capturing the aesthetics of the b-movie.

As a story, however, the film trips all over itself with a plot and cast of characters far too convoluted to suit its needs. The film is supposed to be the story of Machete (Danny Trejo), an ex-federale who’s set up by Booth (Jeff Fahey) as a fall man for an assassination attempt on Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro). Machete quickly takes a back seat to the various stories of all the other side characters that permeate the film.

Luz (Michelle Rodriguez) is the lovely lady who helps illegal immigrants find work in Texas and has a developed a network called “The Network.” Sartana (Jessica Alba) is an Immigrations Officer trying to find out about this network while Lt. Stillman (Don Johnson) is leading a group of vigilante border patrol soldiers that hunt down many of The Network’s members. The real crisis is Senator McLaughlin, who wants to build a fence on the border that would make The Network’s operations even harder.

For a film that is supposed to be about a man and his machete, there’s a lot of plot. The surprising part is that it’s an intriguing plot and doesn’t feel like the usual filler manufactured in action movies to get the film from set-piece to set-piece. Its blend of political incorrectness and social relevance makes it a bit more thought-out than most action movie plots, even if all it is building toward is an excuse for racially-rooted violence.

That being said, by the end of the film too many plot points have been reiterated and too few extras have died. For a film about action, it skimps on some of the delivery. It’s not an egregious offense, but it would have been better if the film weren’t so wordy.

More likely to offend is the overall content of the film. Breasts and blood abound in the film, served up with as little tact as possible. That’s what the trailers promised and that’s what the audience will get. Blood and gore flow in excess, deaths are as visceral and gruesome as possible and most female characters in the film have a nude scene. It’s a trashy film that isn’t afraid to cater to the young males that will constitute most of its audience. It could be argued that it’s refreshing to have a film that isn’t afraid to show vice raw instead of trying to sell it like a businessman. However, the objectionable content exists only for that reason, to be objectionable.

“Machete” achieves its goal. Even then, it has some clear story flaws that get in the way from it reaching its maximum potential of b-movie goodness. There are plenty of other legitimate b-movies that are more entertaining, well crafted (within the realm of badness) and less abrasive than “Machete.” Audience members offended by any sort of objectionable content should stay far away from this film, but for fans of the genre it will be worth the $7 to witness the true trash that is “Machete” on the big screen with an audience.

Grade: B-